THINGS

THINGS that don't go together:
-helium balloons and ceiling fans
-small hands and cats' tails
-a board game (that quacked most of the day) and my headache

THINGS found on my living room floor today:
-shoes and socks
-several blankets
-corn
-a tipped over sippy cup
-a puddle of milk (see above statement)
-2 barking dogs (stuffed ones)
-cupcake crumbs (from E's birthday party)
-leaves and maple tree seeds (that blew in every time the front door opened)
-a pair of Ty's jeans
-a very cute baby who can now sit by herself
-my mail and the newspaper (As soon as they drop through my mail slot, there's always a mad dash to pick them up and bring them to me. : )
-pieces of string cheese (scattered by E before I could guide him back to the table)
-playdough
-a plastic jack-o-lantern that lights up
-two mad cats with sore tails
-a million plastic Easter eggs
-tennis balls and a football
-my car keys (Oh, don't I wish...they disappeared today)
-Piglet
-a school bus
-plastic ducks from aforementioned board game
-a car seat with Cheetah strapped in it
-a diaper (a clean one for those of you who must know)
-two of my shoes that Ty got out of the closet
-yesterday's dried up yogurt
-and a partridge in a pear tree (not really...I just threw that in in case anyone was crazy enough to read this whole list!)

An Eventful Day

1. 2 girls + nail polish = TROUBLE!!!

2. Have you ever stepped in a puddle of urine? It's wet!

Nighttime

I am a night person. I like to stay up late. On Saturdays and Sundays, I usually wait until evening to start housework, paperwork, etc. The downside of being such a night owl can be summed up in one word: morning. I love to sleep and very rarely have trouble sleeping, but I have a terrible time waking up (even when I do go to bed early). It takes multiple alarms, set at multiple times, at multiple volumes, and placed in multiple spots in my room to jar me awake. And even then, I sometimes oversleep. This morning, for instance. I slept through my multiple alarms
and woke to the sound of Aaron unlocking the front door. I'm so glad that he and Ty are first to arrive each morning.

Happy birthday, Lucille! Hope you had a great day!!

The Money Pits Revisited

Here's an update on the Weller/Nugent Money Pits (see September 14 post):

House number 1 (Adam's house) Adam now has his new living room carpet, and it looks really good. It has been cooling off, so hopefully, the air conditioner won't be needed again until spring. Next project will probably be his bedroom ceiling. : )

House number 2 (Aaron and Jaime's house) The vinyl flooring has been replaced with tile, and the bathroom now has cupboards, new light fixtures, a toilet, and a tub (the tub came from the D Wolff's new house). Most of the new doors have been installed and the kitchen appliances are back in place. Looks great! : )

House number 3 (My house) The basement stuff is STILL in the garage, some of the Christmas stuff is STILL in the family room, and the storage stuff is STILL in the dining room. And the dishwasher lock is now broken so, whenever it runs, water leaks out! : (


Lucky Derek...he's still renting an apartment. : )

B & B continued...

Hi! Just wanted to add a note about the B & B near Elkader. If we decide to stay there, I've discovered that there are many interesting and fun things to see and do in that area:
For instance, we could:
1) see a performance at the Elkader Opera House
2) go swimming at Backbone State Park
3) hike on one of the many nearby scenic trails
4) eat at the world famous Pete's Hamburger Stand
5) shop at McGregor's antique stores
6) have a picnic at Pikes Peak State Park
7) ride in a boat through Spook Cave
8) take a river boat tour on the Mississippi
9) go to a movie
10) try catching a fish at a local river, stream, or lake
11) tour the Villa Louis mansion
12) tackle a Gunderburger at the Irish Shanti
13) visit the Osborne Nature Center
14) walk on the trails at Effigy Mounds
or
15) relax at the B&B!

If we do decide to book the B&B, we can take another look at this list.

Have a nice night!!!!

Bed and Breakfast

Hi! It's Saturday night and Ty is spending the night. He's asleep, so now I have time to write. Last weekend, I mentioned the possibility of having all of us spend a couple of nights next June in a bed and breakfast. It was SO MUCH FUN to stay in the rental house in Breckenridge with Clayton, Bev, Penny, Wendy and boys, and to have Dave, Nancy, Amy, and Marco so close. The scenery and activity level in Iowa isn't quite the same as that of Colorado, but I know that we'd have a really good time! The B & B that I'm thinking of is called the Barn On the Bluff near Elkader. You can read about it on their website:

www.barnonthebluff.com

I've met the owners (Julie put together the video that was shown at Jaime and Aaron's wedding); they're great people. Please let Diane and/or me know what you think!

PS...Don't let the price scare you...I know we can get a better rate.

Colds Can Be Cute

For the past two weeks, almost everyone at my house has battled cold symptoms...coughing, runny noses, etc. (During cold and flu season, I always consider hiring a part-time employee just to handle the nose wiping.) Today, a couple of funny things happened that created a new appreciation of colds.
1) E is the politest two-year-old on the planet. Words such as please, thank you, and you're welcome are a natural part of her vocabulary. So it was no surprise today when I heard her sneeze and then say "Bless me".
2) There are five thousand million books in my house, but someone invariably wants the book that someone else has. This morning, D starting sobbing because someone was looking at a book she wanted. Her nose, which has been like a faucet this week anyway, started to run. And then, two HUGE bubbles appeared in her nostrils! We all started laughing...even D!

7 Bad Habits...Chapter II (Two)

Last week I started tackling my procrastination habit. I feel good about the progress I made and plan to finish this weekend. (There are a few things that I can't move by myself; I asked Adam to help me with those next week.) And so...I barrel into Bad Habit number 2...eating late at night. I have terrible eating habits which include eating up until the time I go to bed. I've decided to challenge myself to stop eating at 7 PM. Of course, I have exceptions...like when I'm eating with someone else, at a movie, etc. Already tonight, I'm fighting with myself after a run to the grocery store. I'm thinking..."Maybe I'll start tomorrow night". Nope...gonna start tonight. Will let you know if I can't sleep tonight because I'm hungry!!!
Good day again today. Diane, we enjoyed your visit. As I was putting D (not Diane) in bed for her afternoon nap, the doorbell rang. D said, "It's Diane and Jenn". (I wasn't expecting anyone to drop by.) Surprise...she was half right! D even climbed out of her crib and came out to see Diane. As you can see, Diane's pretty popular around here! Thanks, Diane for providing my dinner and dessert tonight...as always, Barn Happy didn't disappoint! Speaking of food...I'm hungry!!!!!

All I Really Need To Know I Learned From Google

Recently, after my old refrigerator "died" and I spent a couple of weeks feeding kids out of ice chests, a new refrigerator took the place of the old one. The new one has French Doors. I've never been to France and was curious about the origin of the term "French Doors", so I went to Google. There were as many varied definitions for French Doors as there are mosquitoes in the Mile-Wide city in the summer. One definition stated that a French Door has a window. Now, sometimes I'm not too observant, but I'm pretty sure there are no windows in the front of my refrigerator. (Would be handy though...would save opening it a million times a day to find nothing fun to eat.) So...I'm no smarter about what a French Door is than before. Plus, according to Google, French Doors didn't even originate in France. What???
Today was a MUCH better day than yesterday. I've realized that my definion of a better day is one where I have at least one hour to myself (when everyone is napping) to do dishes, laundry, mop, do paperwork, etc. Today, I had TWO of those hours! : ) This morning, while I was changing a diaper, I started hearing dropping noises coming from the living room. The girls had been toting toys from the play room to the living room, so I decided that it must be the sound of lots of little plastic sorting bears hitting the floor. Imagine my surprise when I got to the living room and found ice cubes covering the floor. The girls had gotten into the freezer (on the bottom of my refrigerator) and decided to turn the lr into an ice rink. Thank goodness I wore my super absorbent socks today...they work better for mopping up puddles than Bounty paper towels!

Teeth, Tears, and Tuesday

Hi there! Almost all of the little ones at my house were cranky today. Three are working on their two year molars...not fun for them or me! Here's hoping for a much calmer day tomorrow!!!

Wet Cows

Little by little, this blog is taking shape (now that I've figured out how to invite people to view it). Thanks, Bev, for your patience and persistence...I'm glad that you let us (Diane and me) know that you weren't able to access the site. Everyone...if you know anyone in the family that I've forgotten to send the address to, please share it. I don't have everyone's e-mail address and definitely don't want to leave anyone out!! The address is:

http://iowa 2011.blogspot.com/

My goals for this blog for the next two months are to figure out how to change the background and how to add pictures. And of course, to share more info about Iowa 2011.
Quiet day here..only 2 kids. Diane and Jenn stopped by for a visit this morning. Thank goodness they know how badly I need adult conversation and are willing to oblige me once in awhile! Thanks for the yummy treats that you brought. Haven't quite devoured all of them yet, but I'm having fun working on it! Lately, Jaime has been giving Tyler a bath here before they go home (see Money Pits post). Since I just had Ty and K today, I decided to start his bath early. When I heard J open the front door, I said to K, "Go and say, "Hi Jaime!". As she was running down the hall, Ty, not one to be left out, yelled, "Hi Jaime!". (He does know Aaron and Jaime's names but usually calls them Daddy and Mama.) He had several bath toys to play with. K brought his stuffed cow (one of his favorite toys) into the bathroom. When I told her that it couldn't go into the tub, she laid it down on the floor. When I wasn't watching, Mr. You Know Who swooped it up and put it in the tub. He looked at the cow and said, "Hi cow! Hi udder!" and then looked at me with his "I just did something that I wasn't supposed to but I'm so cute anyway" look! Kids...gotta love em!

Quirky People

The dictionary definition of a quirky person is a person who has strange or unusual behaviors. How many strange/unusual behaviors does a person have to have in order to be considered quirky? One? Several? Many? I know I have several. Take my procrastination for instance. I really did not want to tackle my cleaning project this weekend. I've discovered that I can get myself to dig into a project if I set a timer for a set period of time (ie...30 minutes, 60 minutes, etc.). I wont let myself stop working on the project until the timer rings, at which time I can take a break and then start over again. The interesting thing is that, most of the time, I end up working for quite awhile after the timer rings! Way quirky, huh??!! I did make a lot of progress on my cleaning project this weekend. Didn't get done though. There are some things that need to be moved that I need help with...I'll see if Adam can stop over one night this week.
Am going to try to get postcards sent out this week with info about this blog. I know that several of you have had trouble signing on, making comments, etc. Lots me for to learn about how this works.
Am anxious to start hearing from all of you about next summer and what you'd like to do while you're here! Have a great week. FG

Fireplace Weather

This afternoon I had an appointment to get my hair cut. There was a short wait for my stylist, so I was ushered into the spa to wait. Lights dimmed, soft music, the fireplace crackling...Fireplace? Yes, it was cold here today! Cold, as in 50 degrees, which feels cold compared to what we've been used to. Anyway, back to the spa...I could've fallen asleep. If anyone wants a spa day next June, I know a good one. Speaking of next June, Diane has been hard at work, checking on places to stay in the Waverly area. It does make sense to have everyone (who wants to stay in a hotel) stay in the same one. I have also been checking on a bed and breakfast here in northeast Iowa. The one I'm thinking of is a 100 year old barn converted into a B & B that can accommodate over 20 people. Might be fun to throw that in there for a couple of nights.
Will let you know more about it tomorrow...As for me, I'm getting ready to watch the Iowa-Arizona game. Might even start the fireplace. Go Hawkeyes!

Do Nothing Night

Friday night is usually my "do nothing" night. After a crazy week, it's nice to have a night to do absolutely nothing. However, now that I have become determined to do something about my procrastination issues, I find myself feeling guilty. So, I'll check back in a couple of hours to give my "did something" report...

2 hours later...In the past 2 hours I did 3 loads of laundry, vacuumed, dusted, cleaned one bathroom, finished some paperwork, mopped the living room and kitchen floors, and cleaned the basement. Gotta love these do nothing nights!

Boys and Girls

Most days, Tyler is here with four lovely little ladies, two and under. He spends a lot of time playing beside them or watching them play. They cater to him, often rushing to get something that he wants. Interesting to observe. Once in awhile, another boy spends the day with us, as was the case today with almost two-year-old E. Whenever there's another boy around, Ty gets involved in whatever he's playing with and even enjoys a little "rough and tumble" play. I had no clue that kids would notice the gender difference at such an early age.

7 Bad Habits of Sometimes Effective Me Chapter I

I've decided to tackle the task of getting rid of a few bad habits I've acquired. My hope is that, by going "public", I'll really work on turning some bad habits into good ones! And so, I'm going to start with a big one: procrastination. My mantra has become "Why do it today if there's a possibility that it can be done tomorrow (or next week, next month, next year, never)". So now I find my house full of projects waiting to be done. My four seasons room (also known as the back room) is full of random stuff. This weekend I plan to clean everything out by deciding to keep, throw, or give away everything that is back there. Will let you know in Sunday night's post how well I did with my first "Procrastination Challenge". I'm actually kind of pumped...maybe I'll find something interesting!! Wish me luck!

The Money Pits

The Waterloo Wellers and the Denver Nugents (Hey, isn't there a basketball team by that name?) all own money pits! See if you can guess whose house is whose:

House number 1...Currently, this house is waiting for new carpet (a floor air conditioner leaked and ruined the old floor. An attempt to install new carpet went awry (the carpet was cut wrong) and the lucky homeowner(s) is/are waiting for the second carpet delivery. The faulty floor model not only ruined the carpet but also the wood floor beneath it and some things in the basement. In addition, a bedroom ceiling caved in on top of the bed in that room. (Luckily, no one was in the bed at the time.) Plus, the house is HOT because the central air conked out which resulted in the use of the faulty floor conditioner. : (

House number 2...Currently, as I type, this house, too, is missing floor covering...and a bathroom...and several doors. Oh, and the kitchen appliances are in the living room. Good news...the plumber showed up at 8:30 PM!!! : (

House number 3...Currently...The basement stuff that was moved upstairs when the basement flooded was moved into the garage. It was then moved to storage when the house was listed for sale. In the meantime, the Christmas tree and several boxes of Christmas decorations and other misc. are still in the family room which is currently being used as a storage room. Meanwhile, the stuff that was in storage is now back in the house, currently in the dining room until the homeowner(s) decide(s) what to do with all of it. And finally, the garage too, is full of stuff and the garage door opener does not work, making it extremely difficult for the homeowner(s) to clean out the garage! : (


Lucky Derek...he rents an apartment. : )

Toilet Training

OK...I'll admit it...I know absolutely nothing about toilet training. That was Neal's department. So, I'm learning right alongside my three girls. I will admit that I'll be very glad when the TT time is over. Here's just one reason why...This morning, my little Miss Independent stripped off her clothes (while I was in the other room) and did her business in the toilet. When I went to check on her progress, she was no longer in the bathroom. She had gone into my room, climbed up onto my bed (which is pretty high), and had perched her pretty little bare bottom right in the middle of my pillow!! Guess what's getting washed tonight!?! : )

Sunday...a day of rest

I did absolutely nothing today...other than play with Ty, run errands, and a little cleaning. Diane is planning to post some info about hotels/motels in Waverly. Sounds like she's found some good deals! Happy birthday to Madison yesterday. Two already! Time flies!

Great Day

The weather was perfect, the Hawkeyes won, and Amanda, Jaime, Ty, and I had fun at the Amanas...a great day!
Re. June 17-26, 2011...when Diane and I started planning this, we decided that the majority of our activities would occur between Monday, June 20 and Friday, June 24. The weekends would be left a little more open for those of you who need travel time. However, everyone's welcome to come whenever and to stay until whenever! Diane mentioned that she plans to post info on the blog about where to stay in Waverly. For those wishing to stay in Waterloo or Cedar Falls, there are a variety of nice hotels as well as a few bed and breakfasts (including mine, which is FREE), camping, and even a couple of cabins to rent. If you are interested in a camping/cabin experience, you can check with me or google:
George Wyth State Park
Hickory Hills State Park

Both of these parks are fairly close to me. Hope you're having a fantastic weekend! : )

The Weekend..At Last

It's Friday night finally! This seemed like a LONG week, even though it was only a four day work week. Jaime's high school friend, Amanda, flew in last night from California for their class reunion. J and A helped me with the kids today...it was great to have some extra hands! We're planning to go shopping and to the Amanas tomorrow; Ty will spend the night here on Saturday night while they're at the reunion. (Aaron's in Des Moines this weekend.) And now...the answers to yesterday's quiz questions:
1) b blanket
2) cepic cupcake
3) guck Ty's name for Derek
4) apple pie pineapple
5) pug pacifier
6) am am Ty's name for Adam
7) bompa grandpa
8) mo peas More, please!
9) do do Thank you!
10) kepuch ketchup

Have a great weekend! : )

Quiz Time

Hi there! Diane, I just read your comment...the Waverly Wolffs are as busy as me! You know that the kids and I love to have you (and Jenn when she can get away) visit! Anytime! Here's this month's quiz...How well do you comprehend "Toddlerese"?
The following are ten words/phrases that are frequently heard at my house. How many can you decipher?
1) b
2) cepic
3) guck
4) apple pie
5) pug
6) am am
7) bompa
8) mo peas
9) do do
10) kepuch

Answers tomorrow night!

A Typical Day

Hello! Just a typical day here...eleven hours with kids, errands, mowing, three load of laundry, dishes, paperwork, prepping for tomorrow...How was your day?!?

In The Zone (The Twilight Zone)

THAT WAS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE STRANGEST CLASS I'VE EVER ATTENDED!!!!!!!!!

What day is it?

I spent all day today thinking that it was Sunday! I'm sure that tomorrow will be Monday. It was nice to have an extra day off this weekend. I spent the entire day cleaning and organizing...my bedroom, the computer room, and the kitchen. Cleaning...what a never ending project! I have four kids tomorrow and then CPR re-certification at 6PM. Talked to Derek today. He said that a few units on post were "on call" for Hurricane Earl but, luckily, they weren't needed. He was planning to ride the trails (on a mountain bike) this afternoon and will be doing a lot of paint balling with his guys this week. On Wednesday, he and several co-workers are going to Raleigh to attend the Get Motivated Seminar. Among the presenters will be Colin Powell, Zig Ziglar, Steve Forbes, Rudy Giuliani, and Robert Schuller. Wish I could go...those types of conferences are always inspiring! Well, off to finish mopping before calling it a day. Until tomorrow...

World's Best Chaperone

Hi everyone! Can you believe that I almost forgot to post today? I'm such a creature of habit...I think that this three day weekend is throwing my routine off. Anyway, back to sleeping arrangements for next June. For anyone interested in staying in Waterloo, I'd be happy to have you stay at my house. You could stay as long as you'd like...the only catch is that I have one queen bed, three baby cribs, one pack and play, and a love seat. Oh, and one rocker recliner (I've fallen asleep in it many times...usually while holding a sleeping child.) I have a huge lower level area that has room for lots of Aero beds, sleeping bags,etc. A couple of months ago, friends of J and A's from Alaska stayed with me for about a week. They all slept on the floor down there and said that they slept very well. Now, I'll admit that I'm not the one to consult if you need a "cushier" sleeping space. I can fall asleep on concrete if I need to. I once chaperoned a sleep over at a church. I slept in a sleeping bag on a gym floor. At the end of the weekend, the kids said that I was the best chaperone because I slept through everything!!! If you do want to stay here. I promise that you'll be well taken care of. Just let me know!

Where will you be sleeping

next June, 2011? The Waverly Wolffs and Waterloo Wellers hope that you'll be sleeping with us. No, not literally. Duh. We mean we hope that you're planning to spend a few days with us (which of course would mean that you'll probably need to sleep at some point). And, being the ever so accommodating hosts that we are, we'll be happy to help you with your arrangements. The choices are endless...motels, hotels, campgrounds, at our homes. etc. etc. If you think you'd like to stay in Waverly (a quiet, peaceful, scenic town), talk to the Wolffs. If you'd like to stay in Waterloo (a city that only sleeps if you want it to), talk to me. Thanks to Diane and Jenn for the great dinner tonight. The weather was perfect, the food was great, the restaurant was nice, but...that guy doing the entertaining was a little goofy! Sorry if this is loopy...I sang "Wheels on the Bus" ten thousand million billion times today, and MY BRAIN IS FRIED!!! (Hey, I wonder if that might be a world record?!) Guess I'll have to Google it. Good night...

Denver...the mile wide city

Hi! I'm spending the night in the lovely "city" (about the size of Anthon) of Denver, Iowa. Jaime and Aaron decided to take advantage of the long weekend to go to Minneapolis, so here we are, Tyler and me, pet sitting for Sadie, Lilo, and Stitch. I'm using A and J's computer. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to post from here, but obviously, I can! Thanks to two of my loyal followers, Jenn and Diane, for their comments! This may turn out to be as exciting (and time consuming) as FaceBook, which to date I have stubbornly refused to join. I am reminded daily that "my kids" (ages 30 months, 26 months, 24 months, 20 months, and 6 months) are growing up too fast. This week I put two high chairs in storage and moved the 4 oldest to a rectangular kids' table. It's VERY cute to see them all sitting together while eating, but it makes me a little sad to see Tyler looking and acting more like a little boy than a toddler. We've all been practicing our please and thank yous, asking to be excused, and pushing our chairs in when we're done. This morning, during play dough time, Ty sat down at the table and said, "Hi friends!" A perfect day...B (age 6 months) slept for over 3 1/2 hours! I'm pretty sure that she would have slept longer if one of the kids hadn't started talking to her. And she was in a great mood while she was awake. I got to spend a lot of time with my big kids... talking, reading, and playing. Yes, a perfect day. (See how easy I am to please...I love to sleep and I love it just as much when other people sleep). As promised, tomorrow my post will focus on next June. Talk to you then!

And the good news is

1) Adam's eye looks better today!
2) The plumbing/heating guy was here within two hours after my phone call!!
3) Resolve carpet cleaner really does work!!!

Welcome to my blog

Hey there! I decided to start this blog for two reasons: (1) to share info about the Grant family get-together planned for next summer and (2) to become a little more computer savvy by trying something new. I'm sure that you'll either be thoroughly entertained or thoroughly bored with the recap of the events in my life. So...if you'd like to avoid the humorous, inspiring, and crazy stories, here's what you can do... just skip to my Saturday and Sunday posts. That's when I'll talk about plans for next June.

Overheard in my bathroom today: "I want my privacy. I need to go to the bathroom". No, that didn't come from me... it came from a two year old! Later, her dad told me that she's asked for the same thing at home and has been told that she has to be three to have privacy in the bathroom.
Later, a different two year old, ( I have three of them) touched Tyler on the back and said, "I like him". He grinned and laid his head against hers. So I guess that means that his current girlfriend (age six months) now has some competition!

More tomorrow...